Search engine optimisation (SEO) may seem confusing, but implementing some fundamental best practices can help small business owners improve their website traffic without breaking the bank. This beginner’s guide will explain what SEO is, why it’s important for your business, and some actionable tips to optimise your website step-by-step.
Introduction to SEO Basics
SEO helps increase the quantity and quality of website traffic from search engines. Good SEO practices involve optimising your content and site architecture so search engines like Google can crawl, index, understand, and rank your webpages. The higher your pages rank in search results, the more visibility your business gains.
Common beginner SEO terms you’ll need to know when looking for affordable SEO packages include:
- Keywords – Specific words and phrases that users search for. To attract targeted visitors, keywords should be related to your industry or niche.
- Rankings – Position that a webpage holds in search engine results for specific keywords. Higher rankings equal more traffic.
- Backlinks – When another site links back to your webpage. Quality backlinks signal authority to search engines.
Why Small Businesses Need SEO
Gaining new customers is vital for small business growth. 44% of website traffic comes from organic search, making SEO a valuable marketing channel. SEO helps small businesses:
- Gain foundational web presence and credibility
- Compete with bigger companies for rankings
- Drive targeted customers to their website
- Build network effects by gaining backlinks
Small Business SEO Quick Wins
Start small by optimising your website for search engines with these high-impact tactics:
Optimise Site Architecture
- Ensure your website loads quickly with good user experience on all devices
- Update site navigation and page URLs for search engine crawling
- Make your website content easy to scan with headlines/subheadings
Spruce Up On-Page SEO
- Research target keywords and naturally add them to page copy
- Craft compelling title tags and meta descriptions
- Enhance blog and product page content
Harness Local SEO
- Create a Google My Business listing displaying accurate business info
- Build local citations consistently displaying your name, address and phone number
- Encourage customer reviews
Leverage Affordable SEO Packages
Many digital marketing agencies offer bundled SEO packages catered to small businesses at reasonable monthly rates. Compared to hiring an in-house SEO specialist, these can provide cost-efficient solutions to handle technical optimisation and content while you focus on daily business operations.
When vetting agencies, enquire about their experience optimising websites in your niche, monthly deliverables provided, and SEO performance guarantees offered.
Stay Up-to-Date on Updates
Search engine algorithms and best practices evolve continuously. Subscribe to trustworthy SEO blogs, take online courses, and tap into your professional network to stay updated on trends and innovations that may impact your optimisation plan.
By starting with some quick SEO upgrades, small business owners can establish a search-friendly website foundation before exploring more advanced optimisation. Measure your organic traffic to assess ongoing impact.
Use this beginner’s guide as your SEO checklist to steadily enhance your website and make it easy for your ideal customers to discover you online.
